thehandler3 wrote:The Rebel wrote:You realize the Nuggets were in the western conference finals with the same basic core less then 2 years ago, and have upgraded their starting SG, 4th big, backup PG, and have had JR, Melo, and Nene all dramatically improve, do you not? Fact is even with all the trade drama, and their starting PF and 3rd big having been out of the lineup for most of the season they are still 7 games above 500 even with their road struggles.
I'll conceide that Nene has improved and is now a legit elite Center. But I don't think Melo has improved that much and JR hasn't improved at all. This has been JR's worst season since his second year in the league statistically and there aren't many specific things I can cite in Melo's game to say that he's "dramatically improved." Denver's a pretty good team but there problems remain the same. No defense and knuckleheadedness. Your starting PG (Billups) is also "dramtically" worse than he was in '09 when he made a run for MVP. Birdman and Kenyon's health has been an issue as well and could easily flair up again as the season goes on.
The highest I can see Denver in the most optimistic outlook of the team is 4th in the West. You guys would have no chance against the Lakers and San Antonio in a series. You could probably beat Dallas but it'd be a hell of a series and I'd give them the sight edge. That goes without even talking about the teams in the East.
That's the problem with stats they do not tell you the whole story, JR has not been as good of a shooter, but has been a much better all around player, fact is most Nuggets fans do not want to see him traded.
As for Melo, this year he has looked like crap, I wonder what that is about?
Billup's demise has also been dramatically overstated, he has put up some of the best advanced stats of his career, and outside of a slow start he has been the same player he was when he came back to Denver.
Defense is a problem, and that comes from not working as a team.
As for being Knickleheads and injury problems, I stated basically the same in my original post, which is why the Nuggets would have to make a move to get another good big, and get back on the same page.